AN: Troll spotted the slight distance-speed problem. I really wasn't paying
attention, so I hope I got it right this time. Thanks, by the way.
Dylan and Rommie entered command still holding hands, Rommie made her way to the captains station followed by Dylan who stopped behind her wrapping his arms around her. From the looks the new crewmen gave them Dylan knew that most of them didn't approved of his relationship. Beka didn't seem bothered and she quickly filled them in "We're eleven light minutes from the portal," She checked her readings and continued "and should be arriving in thirty-two minutes." The captain nodded a thank you, then Beka stepped away from her station and strode slowly over to Dylan and Rommie. With a wide grin she asked "By the way, what were you two up to?" Dylan was mentally going through all the answers he could give her when Rommie spun round to face Beka "I thought you didn't want to know?" Beka shrugged indifferently "Changed my mind." Dylan left the conversation up to Rommie, who quickly responded "We were in conference." "A conference for two, sounds interesting." Beka's remark got her an impish smile from Rommie before she returned back to her station.
Half an hour later Andromeda followed the Commonwealth ships into slipstream. Winding her way through the bright slipstream strings, Andromeda soon reached her destination. The fleet emerged from slipstream in a vivid sparkle of blue and white light.
"Dylan," Andromeda's face appeared on the main screen "There's no sign of the worldship." "Could it have slipped out of the system?" Dylan asked and Andromeda's answer came instantly "Not with the damage it sustained during the last battle." Dylan considered the situation but before he could issue an order Rommie looked up from her display "I'm reading eighty-two swarm ships, twenty LS out." Dylan nodded "Activate PDLs, launch attack drones." Dylan could literally feel Rommie tensing more and more with every light second the swarm ships drew closer. She jumped slightly as Dylan put his arms around her to comfort her. Tyr watched the Magog ships carefully until he finally said "Ships are in range." Making it sound as if he waited all day to say it. "Fire." Dylan answered dryly.
The missiles streaming from the fleet impacted on the leading swarm ships, sending huge balls of fire through the enemy fleet. Weapons fire from the second line of advancing ships hit the already damaged Wrath of Achilles breaking an opening in the Commonwealths lines. Several Magog vessels taking the opportunity, attaching themselves to the massive hull of the Achilles, only adding to the warships list drawing it completely out of formation. The next array of swarm ships were darting for the opening with a collision course set for the ship the Achilles was covering, the Andromeda Ascendant. The explosives delivered by drones and warheads took out a number of advancing Magog ships.
Dylan glanced at the tactical display in front of him, seeing the breach where the Achilles was and the Magog ships pouring through it. "Dylan, seven swarm ships just got through, their." Rommie's voice trailed off as the thuds of Magog swarm ships puncturing the hull sent shudders through the ship. Rommie reached for her forcelance and set off to fight her intruders. Dylan got a hold of her Rommie's and stopped her in her tracks, then he turned to the CO of his lancer regiment "Sergeant, dispatch your lancers to the outer hull decks." After the obligatory 'Aye, sir' the Sergeant left the bridge. As two more thuds followed, the evidence of further Magog intruders, Rommie finally said "I should go too." Dylan simply shook his head and went back to his tactical display. A wing of swarm ships were converging on the Achilles, after a long moment Dylan gave the order to fire.
Seven swarm ships closed in on the Achilles, their weapons tearing through the hull as the Siege Perilous Class Destroyer couldn't absorb any more. Two ships exploded as smart missiles from the Andromeda hit home, littering their surroundings with debris. Another missile detonated on the thrusters of a third swarm ship, sending it spinning uncontrollably into the side of a Jaguar Cruiser shredding many decks wide open. The remaining swarm ships eventually broke up in fire one by one as projectiles from the fleet did their work.
"Sergeant Rayner here sir, the Magog are dead. But we've got casualties." The lancer reported in. Dylan was clearly relieved as he ordered "Trance, get medical ready. Harper." "-damage control." The engineer interrupted already hurrying from command. Dylan continued "Still no sign of the worldship?" "None" Andromeda's answer only confirmed his intuition. Tapping a few commands on his console, Dylan checked the status of the fleet and finally said "Launch advanced sensor drones, sweep the system." Andromeda nodded and drones started from their hangers on their journey across the system.
As after two hours the search still provided inconclusive and the fleet departed for Sinti. Dylan begrudgingly accepted that the worldship had somehow managed to stream out of the solar system. Beka excellently glided Andromeda through the slipstream and after a short while re-entered normal space.
"I'm receiving a hail." Rommie said, the crew looked up as the face of Freemont filled the screen. "Captain Hunt, Andromeda, report to HQ immediately." His annoyed face faded as quickly as it appeared. Dylan sighed "It's never easy."
TBC
Dylan and Rommie entered command still holding hands, Rommie made her way to the captains station followed by Dylan who stopped behind her wrapping his arms around her. From the looks the new crewmen gave them Dylan knew that most of them didn't approved of his relationship. Beka didn't seem bothered and she quickly filled them in "We're eleven light minutes from the portal," She checked her readings and continued "and should be arriving in thirty-two minutes." The captain nodded a thank you, then Beka stepped away from her station and strode slowly over to Dylan and Rommie. With a wide grin she asked "By the way, what were you two up to?" Dylan was mentally going through all the answers he could give her when Rommie spun round to face Beka "I thought you didn't want to know?" Beka shrugged indifferently "Changed my mind." Dylan left the conversation up to Rommie, who quickly responded "We were in conference." "A conference for two, sounds interesting." Beka's remark got her an impish smile from Rommie before she returned back to her station.
Half an hour later Andromeda followed the Commonwealth ships into slipstream. Winding her way through the bright slipstream strings, Andromeda soon reached her destination. The fleet emerged from slipstream in a vivid sparkle of blue and white light.
"Dylan," Andromeda's face appeared on the main screen "There's no sign of the worldship." "Could it have slipped out of the system?" Dylan asked and Andromeda's answer came instantly "Not with the damage it sustained during the last battle." Dylan considered the situation but before he could issue an order Rommie looked up from her display "I'm reading eighty-two swarm ships, twenty LS out." Dylan nodded "Activate PDLs, launch attack drones." Dylan could literally feel Rommie tensing more and more with every light second the swarm ships drew closer. She jumped slightly as Dylan put his arms around her to comfort her. Tyr watched the Magog ships carefully until he finally said "Ships are in range." Making it sound as if he waited all day to say it. "Fire." Dylan answered dryly.
The missiles streaming from the fleet impacted on the leading swarm ships, sending huge balls of fire through the enemy fleet. Weapons fire from the second line of advancing ships hit the already damaged Wrath of Achilles breaking an opening in the Commonwealths lines. Several Magog vessels taking the opportunity, attaching themselves to the massive hull of the Achilles, only adding to the warships list drawing it completely out of formation. The next array of swarm ships were darting for the opening with a collision course set for the ship the Achilles was covering, the Andromeda Ascendant. The explosives delivered by drones and warheads took out a number of advancing Magog ships.
Dylan glanced at the tactical display in front of him, seeing the breach where the Achilles was and the Magog ships pouring through it. "Dylan, seven swarm ships just got through, their." Rommie's voice trailed off as the thuds of Magog swarm ships puncturing the hull sent shudders through the ship. Rommie reached for her forcelance and set off to fight her intruders. Dylan got a hold of her Rommie's and stopped her in her tracks, then he turned to the CO of his lancer regiment "Sergeant, dispatch your lancers to the outer hull decks." After the obligatory 'Aye, sir' the Sergeant left the bridge. As two more thuds followed, the evidence of further Magog intruders, Rommie finally said "I should go too." Dylan simply shook his head and went back to his tactical display. A wing of swarm ships were converging on the Achilles, after a long moment Dylan gave the order to fire.
Seven swarm ships closed in on the Achilles, their weapons tearing through the hull as the Siege Perilous Class Destroyer couldn't absorb any more. Two ships exploded as smart missiles from the Andromeda hit home, littering their surroundings with debris. Another missile detonated on the thrusters of a third swarm ship, sending it spinning uncontrollably into the side of a Jaguar Cruiser shredding many decks wide open. The remaining swarm ships eventually broke up in fire one by one as projectiles from the fleet did their work.
"Sergeant Rayner here sir, the Magog are dead. But we've got casualties." The lancer reported in. Dylan was clearly relieved as he ordered "Trance, get medical ready. Harper." "-damage control." The engineer interrupted already hurrying from command. Dylan continued "Still no sign of the worldship?" "None" Andromeda's answer only confirmed his intuition. Tapping a few commands on his console, Dylan checked the status of the fleet and finally said "Launch advanced sensor drones, sweep the system." Andromeda nodded and drones started from their hangers on their journey across the system.
As after two hours the search still provided inconclusive and the fleet departed for Sinti. Dylan begrudgingly accepted that the worldship had somehow managed to stream out of the solar system. Beka excellently glided Andromeda through the slipstream and after a short while re-entered normal space.
"I'm receiving a hail." Rommie said, the crew looked up as the face of Freemont filled the screen. "Captain Hunt, Andromeda, report to HQ immediately." His annoyed face faded as quickly as it appeared. Dylan sighed "It's never easy."
TBC